Our Lady of Lourdes & St. Willliam

Introduction

Our Lady of Lourdes & Saint Willliam in Bradford is an important local landmark built in a stripped Gothic style.

History

Fr Patrick MacMahon became the first parish priest in 1909 and developed the present large church and presbytery. Bishop Cowgill laid the foundation stone in 1924. The sanctuary was re-ordered in 1971 to designs by D. Chambers, replacing the 1930 fittings. In 2014, major renovation was undertaken by Overton Architects, installing the altar and reredos from the closed Sacred Heart, Thornton.

At the same time, the statue of Saint William was returned to the church from the school hall. The church fronts onto the busy inner ring road and is surrounded by industrial and business premises.

Visiting

The parish is linked with Saint William's Primary school. Visitors can learn that Mass was first celebrated in the chapel in 1882. The chapel re-opened in 1902 after a period of closure, a detail available to visitors. Visitors can see the present large church and presbytery, built to designs from Edward Simpson & Son and dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes and St William.